How Floods Damaged Public Libraries In Kerala

Kerala Floods: How Floods Damaged Public Libraries In Kerala, In Pictures

New Delhi:

Soiled books, smashed furniture, damaged equipment and rooms filled with mud tugged at the heartstrings of volunteers and officials at flood-hit public libraries in Kerala as they went to clean. According to an initial estimation by the Kerala Library Council, around 228 libraries affiliated with the council have been either seriously damaged or washed away in the recent Kerala floods.

The Council has around 9,000 libraries affiliated with it while 6,000 of them receive grants from the council.

However, activists said the number of damages libraries which are not affiliated with the council will be much higher as the state has the tradition of most organisations, clubs and social groups building their own libraries. Activists have also called for the participation of civil society and professional agencies in rebuilding the libraries in these areas.

Why Kerala Needs Your Support

Kerala has been hit by the worst floods in a 100 years. The Kerala Government estimates Rs 21,000 crore will be needed to rebuild the state. The funds are required to rebuild hundreds of flooded villages, thousands of damaged and destroyed homes and 10,000 kilometres of ravaged roads.

This Onam as Kerala struggles to rebuild after the most devastating floods in a century, NDTV has organised a special telethon to raise funds for Kerala. We have specific goals - to enable the rebuilding of villages in the worst-affected districts and provide immediate assistance in terms of rehabilitation and food kits to people in the worst affected areas . All donations will go directly to our partner NGO Plan India.

Our focus will be coverage that makes a difference, stories with a heart, standing by people and making their experience a shared one to effect change.

NDTV chose to report on this massive crisis with unwavering focus and commitment; having done that, now we look, as NDTV always does, to go beyond the news and make a difference to people's lives.

Upload Photos/Videos

The Kerala floods has caused massive devastation to life and property. About 357 people have died and lakhs have been relocated to relief camps. Send photos and videos of the rescue efforts, using the form below.

Opinion

Unlike what usually happens during a disaster, the Kerala government has not faced severe criticism for what went wrong on the ground. Popular perception has been that the political class, bureaucracy, civil society and of course the people of Kerala worked well together to overcome the adversity.